


Uma Thurman

by ulti_multi_23



Category: GOT7, SEVENTEEN (Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, College Radio, F/M, barista!jungkook, coffeeshop!au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-12
Updated: 2017-11-12
Packaged: 2019-02-01 10:56:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12703602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ulti_multi_23/pseuds/ulti_multi_23
Summary: It’s not so much the coffee really that attracts Seung Wan to a coffee shop. But mostly, Jang Mi just wonders what their music set list is like. It surely would’ve helped a bunch, to have that music identifying app, had her phone been compatible with the darned thing in the first place. So what does Jang Mi do? She does it the old fashioned way – she asks.(ORSon Jang Mi is a college radio DJ who’s constantly on the lookout for new material to play on her midnight show. Because of reasons, Jang Mi can’t download that app everyone’s suggesting her to install, for convenience’s sake. So she results to doing it the old-fashioned way – she asks around. And who happens to be the one she asks in that split second but none other than the cute, mysterious barista she’d been eyeing from afar.)





	Uma Thurman

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by this very lovely thing I found on tumblr. ( click here )
> 
>  
> 
> So this is my first time ever posting on AO3. Uh... you can tell how much of a noob I am from the tags alone. So... enjoy? I guess? Oh, and the Uma Thurman here refers to the song by Fall Out Boy, not the actress. 
> 
> I think that's it? Enjoy? I hope?
> 
> (25/7/2018)  
> Edit: So I replaced my female main character for personal reasons. If you were notified for any updates or anything, it was just of me replacing my female character with an original character.

 

 

It’s not so much the coffee really that attracts Jang Mi to a coffee shop – or any coffee shop for that matter. Nor was it the sweet confectionaries (especially the blueberry ones) that always came as a choice on the side with the coffee playing a denominator either. Perhaps it could be the rather out of this world concepts some establishments are willing to put themselves through, down to the uniforms and décor (like the one time she entered a coffee parlour, she swore she thought they’d specialised in wigs instead of coffee) that pulls her in for a try. But mostly, Jang Mi just wonders what their music set list is like.

Because it’s usually the real quirky and completely hidden in some unlikely corner ones – like in between a key-cutting lot and a real-estate agency – that provide the best background music to a mundane thing such as coffee drinking that it feels like she’s uncovered some universal secret. Discovering a hidden gem so well masked in the midst of things, it feels like such a self-accomplishment that indulging in (sometimes overpriced) coffee and being late to class is so worth it.

But there’s only very few that really cater to her every criteria. Being one who DJ’s at her college radio station at midnight for specifically rock songs, it’s such a rarity to hear new music, especially in that range of genre, playing in quirky, quaint cafes. She gets lucky at times, but most of the time, luck strikes out. She would rely on her mobile data plan but she already uses too much of it as it is. Spending so much of her time on Tumblr and 9GAG, that by the time she thinks it’s time she starts looking for new material, there’s only just a measly amount left, enough for only WhatsApp and LINE chats till the end of the month. Researching for new material to play on crappy campus WiFi on the other hand is like asking to be skinned alive. She scrapes by when it comes to assignments but when music is concerned, she decides she’ll rely on other resources instead.

Jang Mi’s fortunate enough though that outside campus grounds there’s even a record store at hand nearby – if you can even consider a half hour walk nearby. But desperate times called for desperate measures, and desperate was what Jang Mi was when she soldiered through the summer heat in the middle of the afternoon in search of new material after weeks of recycling last month’s set to her listeners. She shuffled the set list as best as she could but it was still aggravating to her ears, what more to her listeners. With low finance and an even lower budget, Jang Mi had to really thank her lucky stars when the record store allowed trial plays on the discs before purchase. And so, with the names of songs and bands scrawled in her notebook, she’d rush back to campus and then run to her studio to catch as best her time on the computer to put the songs into her set for the night.

Even with the alternative for music resources, it still didn’t deter Jang Mi from visiting cafes. She might discover a different type of sub-genre for rock she could introduce and recommend to her listeners. And thus, she kept to it. 

The problem is though, whenever it does happen, that bone-chilling realisation that the song filling in the white noise of the space was good enough material for her to play on her radio seg, she never did have anyone to ask what the name of the song was, or even a name to go by. She’d always been seated too far from the counter to actually walk up to it and ask for details. And the company whom she’d been with never seemed to have an idea or took notice of it much like she did. It was like she was the only being in that room with an unbelievably sharp sense of hearing and had an inane knack for catching it.

And almost every time, without fail, following the incessant inquiries for the song’s details, they’d always, _always_ , suggest she use this delightful little music identifying app called: Shazam.

It surely would’ve helped a bunch, had her phone been compatible with the darned thing in the first place.

Out of the many things (and there were _many_ things) her phone wasn’t compatible with, it had to be the one thing that could solve the problems involving her job. She’d already established a love-hate relationship with her phone when she first found out it wasn’t compatible with Uber (Uber, people – _Uber_ ). Then, there was that time she discovered she needed some kind of iCloud account to open up her downloaded documents because that was where it all went to whenever she downloaded anything through her phone. Turns out upon first purchase, she’d made one by default to set up her phone settings. She’d thought she hadn’t one for so long, what more a password and back-up e-mail she’d used for that account in the first place. She gave up attempting to enter that account after the millionth failed guess.

Having found out that it too was incompatible with the music-identifying app like Shazam came as no surprise. Though it almost did make her _completely_ hate her phone (and buy a new one even if she had to fast for months after doing it), but it did have a long battery life. That somewhat made up for all of its shortcomings.

Thursdays are always slow. It’s not really the end of the week but it’s a day away from it and because it’s two days away from the weekend it feels that much longer than it sounds. The weekends are usually the days she would sleep in and not rush for morning classes. Something she’s had the misfortune of doing too many times in her college student life to count on a Friday, mistaking it for a long awaited Saturday from a dire need to sleep in.

The crisp and chilly autumn air wasn’t as biting and so she was comfortable in her pencil skirt and oversized sweater. It felt warm and didn’t get too hot or sticky under the sweater either. But the solemn and cool weather still raises a certain craving within Jang Mi. A craving for something that could snap her spirit right back into shape, liven up her sluggish state after an hour of recounting literary themes in poetry. Something only a hot cup of coffee could do. A blueberry muffin would go nicely with the beverage.

She only knew one place that’s nearest to get her such a fix on such short notice.

 _Coffee & Co._ is just like any of your usual coffee shop parlours. It always smelled of coffee and it served the usual confectionaries likes cakes and cookies. Sometimes, on special holiday seasons, they sold holiday themed confectionaries like candy cane infused sweets (for Christmas) or pumpkin infused savouries (for Halloween). Conveniently, they were situated just outside of college grounds and have become one of the main spots for college students alike to hang out or stop by for a coffee fix, Jang Mi being one of them.

Jang Mi wouldn’t say it’s her favourite coffee spot. Sure, she visits it most often compared to the others, but only because it’s much nearer than the others. She could easily make a run for it and still make it to her class in record time. And they always, have music playing in the background (old _and_ new).

On some days, it’s good enough to send your foot tapping against the linoleum. Any other day and any song playing in their little parlour would go right into one ear, out in the other. But those Jang Mi notices, are all mainstream pop head-bops. Sure, you can’t really go wrong with Taylor Swift and EXO. They were palatable, yes, but the choices weren’t enough for her radio seg. That was, of course, until that one fateful slow Thursday.

Walking into the slightly bustling establishment, what with it being after school hours somewhat, Jang Mi guesses that the crowd must be of people stopping by after their last set of classes for the day. Much like Jang Mi herself.

Being nearest to a university, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that this place was the first choice to go to for a coffee fix for a lot of people. Jang Mi takes note of the line queueing to order and dreads the wait. But because Jang Mi wasn’t really in the mood to scout the area for another less crowded coffee parlour, the warmth of the place too was just too comforting and pleasant to leave. She eventually decides to get in line anyway and surveys the menu like she hadn’t already an idea of what to get to pass the time.

Jang Mi doesn’t really consider herself as a regular of the establishment, but if the familiar glint in the cashier’s eyes was anything to go by it was that she frequented enough for him to recognise her like how he would to a regular. He cradles his face in the palms of his propped up elbows and feigns anticipation as she walks up to the counter.

“What can I get for ya today, Miss?”

The cashier manning the register was Tangerine-Haired Guy (she never really felt the need to know his name and so, she settled with that little nickname). He always had an overflowing amount of charm and cunning mischief to him that it was hard to not be infected by his energy; or in other ways affected by it. From his surreptitious and flirty winks, to his smug, victorious smirks whenever he knows he’s fluttered a girl’s heart with his cheeky smile. It’s like watching a modern-day Casanova at work. But it’s all for naught if what he expects the same from Jang Mi, flaming red cheeks and a stutter to her speech at the special treatment given.

Jang Mi is nothing but unfazed calm as she utters coolly, “A Caramel Macchiato, hot, with cream. And a Blueberry Muffin. Having here. So could you be a dear and warm up the muffin for me, please? Thank you.”

Tangerine-Haired Guy snorts, but his smirk is still in place as he keys in her order. He knows by now that Jang Mi was one of those few that always had an indifferent air to them whenever he tried. But he still does it for some unfathomable reason. Probably finds it a challenge. It comes to show that there really was no meaning behind all the flirting. They were just friendly, playful teasing. It settled any qualms she may have had in the beginning about shooting him down so quickly. It was probably for his own good anyway, one can never be too careful when being greasy with a customer.

Despite probably having remembered it by now, he still asks for a name, just to be sure, Jang Mi guesses. She answers and a beat after, he quickly scrawls it onto the paper cup before handing it over to the others.

As he hands over her change, his Casanova reflexes kick in again and he wishes, “Enjoy your coffee and have a nice day,” casually throwing in a wink at the end. It takes a lot of willpower inside Jang Mi not to blatantly eye roll at his corny advances.

Going to the other end of the counter, Jang Mi waits patiently in line for her order to be picked up. Meanwhile, she watches idly in passing as the others’ drinks before hers were made. The concocter of drinks that day was Raven-Haired guy and Maroon-Haired Guy (really, she needed better nicknames for them).

Maroon-Haired Guy she hadn’t many chances to encounter as opposed to Raven-Haired Guy who alternates cashier duty with Tangerine-Haired Guy pretty often, she notices. Based on what she has been able to observe so far, unlike his overtly friendly bright-coloured-haired colleague, Raven-Haired Guy was more of a no-nonsense kind of employee. He greeted the customers, took their orders, asked for their names, returned their change if any, and wished them well on their way. That was always how the script went, and he never ran away from it.

Jang Mi may be short-sighted but she wasn’t that blind to not take notice of the eye-candy littering the establishment (and no, that did _not_ make it onto her list of reasons why she frequented the establishment often). Out of the three baristas, Jang Mi finds Raven-Haired Guy the cutest. Although Tangerine-Haired Guy was a catch himself, the same went for Maroon-Haired Guy, but she was more attracted to the mystery that was Raven-Haired Guy. She’d never cease to fail at catching the occasional smiles he throws his colleagues, or when he lets out an uncontrollable bark of laughter whenever the joke’s too good. But put him behind the register and he’s all stoic, doe-eyed expressions, and awkward greetings. It throws her off more than it should, she admits.

So as Raven-Haired Guy began on her drink, Jang Mi had been rejoicing internally, watching him measure the ratio of milk to coffee so closely with delight. She’d always wondered what it would be like to start a conversation with him. Just, say anything, really. Give him a compliment like how some of the others have done before. Or maybe thank him personally for a well-made drink.

But like Jang Mi where she turns down Tangerine-Haired Guy in his advances, so does Raven-Haired Guy with the others’. It gives her a sense of comfort knowing that he wasn’t easily swooned, but at the same time it’s discouraging because her chances of getting something with him are zero to none. She may be shameless in the name of her song hunt, but for other causes, like flirting, she’d rather not embarrass herself than try.

Still, moments like these, brief eye contacts and the occasional fingers brushing when handing over cups of coffee, they’re all Jang Mi needs to complete her experience at _Coffee & Co_.

Fatefully for Jang Mi, her chance at an interaction was coming sooner than she’d hoped.

Before she took notice of the song playing softly in the background, all Jang Mi did was let the song serenade her. Her feet had unconsciously begun tapping to the music as her head had begun to nod along to the beat. It really took her a moment to realise that the song really wasn’t so bad. It wasn’t until it entered its bridge, hearing those electric guitar riffs filling in the space between the bridge and the pre-chorus, did it hit Jang Mi – _this song is college radio material_! She wished she’d noticed it sooner so she wouldn’t have to berate herself and panic at the mere seconds left till the song ended.

Seizing the counter with spread out palms, Jang Mi leans over it to do what she shamelessly does best, “Excuse me, do you know what the name of this song is?”

She’d already had Raven-Haired Guy’s attention the moment she’d smacked both her palms against the counter. The sound it had produced was pretty loud. It had garnered even the attention of those waiting in line. She could even see Tangerine-Haired Guy snapping her way curiously to see what all the noise was about. She didn’t wait to find out what he did next to calm down the crowd nor did she have enough fucks to give for what was considered good conduct in public. She _needed_ to know the name of the _song_.

Seeing as what she got was mostly blinking eyes and not a verbal response, she supplies an alternative, “A name would be fine too. I-if you know it.”

Again, Jang Mi was met with blinking eyes and not a peep of a verbal response. It was like he’d frozen over, completely panicked and thrown off guard by the question like he’d never once in his barista life expected anyone to ask him anything besides the menu list displayed before their heads. Looking away because the milk he’d left under the machine to steam had over frothed, he quickly pulled it away and got to mixing and transferring the beverage into her designated cup. That seemed to be his answer to Jang Mi’s question – keeping mum. Maybe she was too wishful to think that the startled look he’d given her was the face he made when his brain racked for a name and song title (that was the face Whee In always gave her when she was in deep thought).

Knowing now that it wasn’t, Jang Mi lets her shoulders droop a little in slight disappointment. Perhaps it was a good idea to have ordered a Blueberry Muffin to go with her coffee. It would be the perfect consolidation for another good song left unidentified.

Placing her coffee alongside her muffin on the tray lain out, Jang Mi was just about ready to pick it up and leave for some spot in a corner or by the window.

When he spouts, “Apartment. By Young the Giant.”

There was this look in his eyes as he tilted his head, like he was giving the song another good listen before he nods with confidence, “Yeah, Apartment. By Young the Giant.”

He wipes his hands on the apron he’d wrapped around his waist. It looked much like the others’, stylised the same way, tied around their waist. It was the only piece of official uniform that everyone shared aside from the plain black tees. He flashes her a small, timid smile, out of courtesy and goes back to making drinks, thinking that was the end to their encounter.

Fate had other plans so it seemed.

Jang Mi practically beams in return, “Oh my—Thank—Thuh-Thank _you_!”

She was practically rummaging through the endless black pit she calls a sling bag for a pen and paper the next second. Never had she been more annoyed to not have them lying around in the most convenient of times. But she finds one eventually and settles with just a pen before utilising a napkin to scribble the information down.

“Apartment, was it? By, Young the Giant…?”

“Yyyeaah~” he says somewhat. But even as he froths the milk, he doesn’t seem to mind to be having the conversation. He proves her suspicions so by offhandedly remarking as he skilfully poured the drink into a plastic cup filled with ice – not spilling a single drop of the coffee mixture, “You know. You should get Shazam on your phone. It’s great! It would really help you. Like, a lot.”

Perhaps it’s more backhanded than it is offhanded that the reason he suggests it is so she wouldn’t start asking him to identify songs from now on whenever she walks into the coffee shop. Turn him into her own, personal, human Shazam so to speak. He needn’t worry, chances like this don’t happen often. But she takes it in stride nonetheless, whether it is backhanded or not, she gives him the benefit of the doubt. He might’ve meant well with the suggestion, along with the dozens of others who’ve said the same thing to her. But not everyone’s born with the luxury (or luck as unfortunate as hers) to own a phone that’s compatible with the music app (or any app for that matter).

And so she tells this to the barista as he wordlessly hands over a different drink to another customer who looked to be three customers after her. She really should move, she thinks as an afterthought, as she begins to notice the other waiting customers giving her the stink eye for hogging space with her tray that’s holding solely one muffin and coffee that’s probably lukewarm by now.

“Not _compatible_?” Jang Mi’s intentions are halted. The disbelief, like the sheer idea of it was incredulous, was evident in his voice. Jang Mi tries not to look too amused that she’d evoked the same type of reaction from him whenever she shares with anybody her misfortune. She instead feigns a crestfallen look to perfect her victim role.

“Sad, isn’t it?” she sighs for effect.

“Depressing,” he agrees and leans forward, hands on his now clean work station after he’d given the last of the customers their order. He could fully pull his focus on Jang Mi now and he asks curiously, “What brand is it? For future reference, you know. Wouldn’t want anybody else to have the same misfortune.”

“Ah, but it makes up for it in other ways,” Jang Mi finds herself defending the phone company (for some odd reason) and waves the small, neon orange thing to his monocular view. She could see him squinting to catch the name embedded in the bright, neon orange, hard case cover.

Not convinced, he asks, “Like?”

“Like its long battery life for instance,” she supplied.

He nods, relenting with a huff, not really believing her but accepting it either way. He must’ve realised he’d kept her there long enough and decided to end their little exchange with, “Well, whatever it is, I’ll be sure to steer clear of it until I hear further improvements.”

Jang Mi couldn’t argue with that. She thanked him after, for both the drink and the song identification and spent the next hour in a corner, away from the window.

Later that night, she came into the studio an hour early and gave her newly discovered song a good listen. She’d put it on loop for the last half hour spent on the studio computer compiling whatever new material she got in that span of a week before happily adding them all up into her set list. 

-

Jang Mi hadn’t visited the café anytime soon after that. Not for another couple of days at least. The day she does decide to step into the little establishment was because she’d been looking to get herself a Pumpkin Spiced Latte. And she only prefers to drink their specific blend over the ones made by the other more popularised coffee shop in the area.

The cashier for that day had been none other than Raven-Haired Guy. Tangerine-Haired Guy was nowhere to be found but Jang Mi doesn’t think much of it. She didn’t want to go prying for his whereabouts. He might just appear out of the blue if she does. Jang Mi just takes it as a blessing because after what she’d been through in class that day (a pop quiz in which you’re immediately assessed right after wasn’t something she liked going through), the very idea of entertaining him or seeing how overtly cheerful he was might not result in a nice comeback. So seeing someone who’s wearing a similarly blank expression felt like looking into a mirror, and that gave Jang Mi some form of comfort.

There weren’t that many people around, hence the non-existent line. Thus, Jang Mi walked right up to the register to order.

“Um, one Pumpkin Spiced Latte. Hot. Having here. And um,” Jang Mi glanced over at the display case, seriously considering getting something different and new for a change but didn’t want to do anymore thinking for the day. And so, she just decidedly went with, “Just give me a Blueberry Muffin.”

“Would that be all?” Raven-Haired Guy asks.

Jang Mi merely affirms it with a hum and readies her wallet. After announcing her total price, the exchange of money was done quietly without much trouble. 

She had expected for him to ask for a name once he’s had her paper cup on the ready, marker tip poised on some blank space where her name could be written. Instead, he asked, “So will it be JJ, or Uma, today?”

At this, Jang Mi’s whole being wakes up from its dazed stupor. “Excuse me?”

He lowers the cup, probably to better explain himself as he engages in eye contact and gesticulates towards her in addition, “Well, JJ is because that’s your radio persona. And Uma – as in Uma Thurman – is because you seem to _really_ like that song.”

For some reason, Jang Mi feels the need to deny him. “W-Whah…Wha—I don’t—”

The pathetic attempt of a denial dies under the mutterings of Raven-Haired Guy as he scribbles a name (despite Jang Mi giving him none) and backs up his statement, “You’ve been playing it for the past two months. You don’t even play Beebo for that long.” Scoffing, he accuses Jang Mi, “And you call yourself a Sinner? Appalling.” He shakes his head disapprovingly.

When it all finally registers to Jang Mi what it was he was talking about, her tense shoulders crumble and they shake from laughter instead.

Dropping her voice to a conspiratorial whisper, “Could you not tell my listeners this but I think I might be turning into a Youngblood.”

He makes a look of shock, the one she’s most familiar with. Rounded eyes with eyebrows raised so high they disappeared under his ruffled bangs. To better portray the emotion she assumes. Following her confession, she’d expected an indignant cry of “ _Traitor!_ ” in the next second, but all he does is break character to say with a small, crooked smile on his lips and a wave of dismissal, “Aye, anybody who likes Panic! At the Disco is bound to like Fall Out Boy eventually. Or, vice versa. I’m a fan of both bands too.” Raven-Haired-Guy then starts clearing his throat and coughing slightly. In between, she catches the word he inserts in between coughs with the intention to not be too obvious with his bias, “But—more—on—Beebo—though.”

Jang Mi didn’t know what it was that brought on this talkative streak in him. Maybe she’d looked too dejected walking into the café and he felt compelled to cheer her up. Or maybe this was just his way of suggesting she play more Panic! At the Disco than Fall Out Boy. Either way, it got her attention. She hadn’t expected it to come from Raven-Haired Guy though, _especially_ from Raven-Haired Guy, but whatever he was doing, it worked. His efforts proved to be successful because she felt a little invigorated and refreshed. The depressing events from her class not moments ago momentarily wiped from memory. She’d like to prolong it as long as she could.

“So. You found our frequency,” Jang Mi regarded, thoroughly impressed.

Jang Mi hadn’t come by opportunities to talk about her radio segment that often. Most times, she’d had to promote it in a way that’s pretty discrete (shameless may be her middle name when it comes to song hunting, but she wasn’t that shameless – or thick-skinned). It was always after immediately explaining to whichever company present why the name of a song or artiste is so important to her. She’d not so subtly say, “ _It’s for college radio. Listen to it. I come on at midnight._ ” And that would be pretty much it. Curt. Short. For those who were really interested she’d provide the frequency.

“How?” Jang Mi’s eyebrows furrowed. “I don’t come on till midnight.”

“I don’t really sleep at night. Gotta make ends meet. You know what it’s like. Assignments piling up high. Being a bitch in your side.”

Jang Mi nods empathetically, showing him that she did understand. He explains this so nonchalantly though, like the very fact wasn’t the least bit worrying – but coming from the one who runs a radio seg at _midnight_ , she should be directing her concerns onto herself and not him (it’s ironic). 

“So I listen to the radio to pass time. Also, I already knew of the frequency because of an old friend. He used to be the one doing the nocturnal hours, being an insomniac himself. So I’d listen to his shows. Guess it’s become a habit. He was the DJ before you if I’m not mistaken.”

“Yoon Gi,” Jang Mi recalls.

She remembers him to be a frail-looking guy, but packed a punch with his sharp tongue. _On Air_ though, he was nothing but calm and soothing, a voice that could lull anybody to sleep or just sedate enough to calm down from any high. Contrary to his persona, he played Hip-Hop and R &B music, much like what his rough around the edges personality was like. He’d graduated last term; that was how Jang Mi got the slot.

“You know Yoon Gi personally?”

“By personally, you mean that I know how much he swears like a sailor and means nothing by it? Then yeah, I know him. Personally. He actually bitched a lot about how they didn’t stick to the Hip-Hop, R&B seg. And that it became a sorta English corner thing. But I kind of like Indie Rock so, know that you still have me listening in.”

“Thanks. Glad to know.” Jang Mi gratuitously bowed her head. “As for playing Uma Thurman too many times to be considered constant on a daily basis for the past two months, I’m really sorry for the lack of new material. As you’ve noticed, I only got some new material very recently so.” Jang Mi shrugged in conclusion.

With a little shrug to his shoulders, he waves aside, “Nah, that’s alright.” He consoles, “You don’t get to hear Young the Giant that often on radio, so. Again. No complaints there.” He lets a pause run through them before stiffly adding in an accusatory soft murmur, “Would’ve felt a little nicer though, if proper crediting was in order.”

Jang Mi loses her smile and scoffed, understanding exactly at what he was getting at and shook her head. _The nerve_. But at the same time there was a small smile just peeking out a corner of her mouth, finding it more amusing than it is annoying. Still, she upholds her intimidated upfront.

“Is this what all this is about? To claim credit where it’s due? Your, 15 minutes – or in this case, 15 _seconds_ – of fame?” Jang Mi crosses her arms.

“I _did_ help you out with the name and everything,” he so smugly debates. “A little credit goes a long way,” he leans forward on his elbows, taking in the position his fellow Tangerine-Haired colleague would’ve been in had it been him attending to the register that day. And just like him, a little playful, challenging glint was in his eyes as he taunted Jang Mi by taking on her hard gaze with his own unfaltering one.

Who knew Raven-Haired Guy had this side to him, Jang Mi thinks bewilderingly. Shaking her head at first, she then lets out a small laugh dispel from her system, still in slight disbelief at what she was hearing. But after it had all sunk in, she finally turns to Raven-Haired Guy, bemused. 

Jang Mi really had wanted to say something witty. A comeback, to render him just as speechless, but she hadn’t been able to come up with one in time when her drink was called out. Both his and her head snapped to the one at the other end of the counter, struggling to pronounce the name scrawled at the side. Maroon-Haired Guy gave up and merely turned to his colleague to complain, “Yah! Can’t you write a name properly?! I can’t understand jack!”

Looks like his friend beat Jang Mi to it in the rendering-him-speechless department. Reconnecting their gazes, he couldn’t help letting out a sheepish chortle as he apologised, “Sorry, Gyeom-ah.”

“Guess that’s me,” Jang Mi denotes. “I’ll,” she thinks of a way to play with him and merely gives a vague, “I’ll think about it.” She nods, satisfied with how simple she’d worded it and leaves to pick up her tray of muffin and latte.

“You better,” he threatens, harmless even to her ears, and the little smirk curling up a corner of his lips is the last thing she catches before turning her back to him.

Once she’d seated herself by the window in the farthest corner, she realised she still didn’t know which name it was he had chosen to write on the side of her Pumpkin Spiced Latte. And so, a little apprehensively, Jang Mi turns the cup around and finds herself holding back a smile (she had a feeling a certain pair of eyes were still keeping watch) as she lay her eyes on the scribbles hastily written in that blank space of a paper cup. She must’ve failed at the attempt of hiding her smile because one glance at the cashier and she finds him wearing a smirk bigger than the one she’d seen him with last.

In capital letters mushed together so to fit in that small space, he’d written: _UMA THURMAN_.

-

It takes Jang Mi a little over two weeks before she actually had time in the midst of her schedules to stop by the establishment again for a short coffee break. She was legitimately busy and in under no circumstance was she trying to avoid confrontation for what she had done a little over a week ago (so she tells herself).

Basically, what had entailed one autumn’s night was, as she was about to finish up her segment, she’d decided to slip in a little story time in the last minute as to how she’d gotten her hands on the song she was about to end things with. And since it was the song he’d so helpfully identified for her, in a paraphrased version of his words, she properly credits him with a mention (though not really sure if a rough description like “ _one of the baristas from Coffee & Co._” was proper – or specific – enough). Along with it was a sincere and well-deserved ‘ _Thank You_ ’. She then flippantly ditches the sincere tone she was faking and knowingly ruins the otherwise touching moment with a question she’s sure he’ll be answering behind the recesses of his dorm walls, “ _There, I’ve given you your 15 seconds of fame. Happy?_ ”

She hadn’t meant anything by it, really. It was only to tease him with her indirectness (though not really intentional; it had been appropriate at the time – she couldn’t really call him by the nickname she’d given him in secret now could she). She hadn’t that many opportunities to call out people she knew _On Air_ too besides her fellow station mates, and so, she took the chance while she had it. Conveniently, she had him. So without further discussion, she’d appointed him the victim of her scheme to embarrass and annoy on live radio. 

Of course, she knew that there was a possibility that he probably wasn’t listening in on that very fateful night. Or that by now, a week from that radio show later, he’d probably forgotten all about the mention whatsoever. He could’ve even let it fly over his head what with how _generic_ she’d described him due to the lack of name to direct her thanks to. But all in all, it was a possibility nonetheless, that he could also take notice and bring it up at their next encounter. All of this got pushed to the back of her mind eventually as there were more important matters to attend to.

Like her brain functionality for instance.

Jang Mi was in dire need of coffee. It seemed to be her last hope if she wanted to survive the remainder of the day. After nights consisting of back-to-back all-nighters, Jang Mi had spent it on trying to finish up her assignment, due and handed that very morning as hoped. It was bad enough that lately she’d been living on very little amounts of sleep as it is. 2-3 hours at most because her show ends at 3AM – 4, the latest – and the hours between that to 7AM were usually spent on freshening up and preparing for classes the next morning. She does all of that before she really knocks herself out cold till her personalised alarm clock – courtesy of an old friend, who’d made it initially as a joke but turned out to be really useful – wakes her up by blaring it so loud, her whole dorm wakes up. She had to thank her forward-thinking-with-insight younger self for that, setting up a daily morning alarm the moment she’d signed herself up for a midnight shift in college radio was a very smart move on her part.

So, with that information in mind, you can just imagine how dead tired Jang Mi was after all that trouble, squeezing whatever time into her already tight schedule, sacrificing what was left of her snooze time to finish her darned assignment. Not like she couldn’t have done it in the day, _no-sir-ree_. She _had_ to do it at night when it was pin drop silence and all the rumoured ghosts haunting the damned block were coming out. She entertained the idea of marching up straight to her dorms right after her coffee trip, but knew better her self-righteous, studious self wouldn’t have allowed it. She was too much of a goody two-shoes to skip the one class left for that day. The drive just wasn’t strong enough (but it was a close battle).

Walking into the little establishment, Jang Mi’s a little surprised by the crowd but not really thrown off. After getting in line and checking her watch for the time, she figures that it must’ve been the lunch hour rush. It would seem she had come during its peak and the baristas were working at full speed. Seeing them move about the cramped space behind the counter, she can’t even begin to imagine how uncomfortable of an environment that must be to be in.

Jang Mi catches the head of hair that’s by the register taking the orders and thinks lightly of it, thinking that perhaps the dark hair belonged to the many other dark-haired employees in the establishment. But then, fate would have it, she would catch the face that owned the head of black hair manning the cash register and it opened the floodgates to fill up every expanse of Jang Mi’s mind with the happenings from last week. Mostly, it fixed and latched strongly onto one radio sesh on a particular autumn’s night.

Cue Jang Mi internally losing her shit.

She’d pushed all memory of last week’s radio seg to the back of her mind when she’d gotten her hands on the assignment’s due date. Numerous times Jang Mi had imagined the outcome of that little mention and numerous ways too Raven-Haired Guy would react or address the situation. She’d been prepared for all types of possibilities. She’d considered both the positives and the negatives. But the possibility of it being just her and her mind overcomplicating things too was high. And so, she just tells herself to get a grip. This crush of hers was getting out of control. She was expecting too much out of one measly encounter. But a part of her does want him to keep engaging in conversation, albeit in a good or bad way.

Minutes passed since she’d begun worrying her mind over her inner turmoil and waiting some more for the moment of truth turns her into an influx of jitters that don’t mix too well with her raging hormones. When she sees that she’s only a couple of customers away from her turn, her heart goes a little erratic. She prays for the calm and collected person she was whenever faced with Tangerine-Haired Guy to resurface, but of course, when in dire need (or complete distress), that epitome of cool-headed wouldn’t turn up. It did momentarily distract her and calmed her down from her rapid downward spiral into insanity. When her turn finally comes, it feels a little sooner than she’d hoped.

Nevertheless, Jang Mi walked up to the counter, looking a little too anxious than calm. If he notices, he doesn’t show it. Instead, he’s put on his stoic mask again today, eyes a little dead though, but still rounded and wide to seem alert and more than capable to take people’s orders without having them to repeat it three to four times. He made no move or indication that he was going to mention what had gone down a little over a week ago. Merely treated her like a regular customer with the customary, “ _What would you like to have for today?_ ” Jang Mi takes it as her chance as a hazard avoided.

She’d ordered a cappuccino with two extra shots, to go, because her next class was in an hour and walking to the destination itself took 15 minutes alone. She didn’t have the luxury to take her time and so she best have it to go. She’d expected him to ask for a name as usually the script went once he’s given back the change. But what he does next is he wordlessly writes down a name (one Jang Mi distinctively remembers not giving) and taps a friend on the shoulder. He wordlessly gestures towards the two of them, his colleague and him, in what seems to be a request to exchange spots.

Jang Mi was a little taken aback by the ordeal. But she tries not to think too much into it and takes it as her turn was over. She did feel a little relieved to know that she wasn’t the only one who found it odd. Going to the other end of the counter where the pick-up station was, Jang Mi noticed how the one whom Raven-Haired Guy had asked to switch with was another dark haired employee, one she’d seen around doing the waitressing and bussing. And he’d glanced back and forth from his colleague to Jang Mi a number of times before taking over cashier duty as Raven-Haired Guy had hoped.

Once given the green light by his friend, Raven-Haired Guy worked quietly and diligently on the drinks. He didn’t hesitate nor had any troubles transitioning into a barista in a split second. He needn’t even a buffer as he switched from cashier to the one manning the machines. In between he’d helped pass things around to his other buddy (Tangerine-Haired Guy) as he made the drink orders before Jang Mi’s.

Jang Mi had thought that maybe he’d just wanted to trade spots because he’d just wanted to. Take a break probably from all the human interaction and order taking. Satisfied with that assumption, she leaves it at that. Yet, deep inside Jang Mi, somewhere deep in her gut, she has this little feeling it was more than just that.

Her premonitions are proven true when he but all so casually leans against the large coffee machine on his elbows and looks straight into Jang Mi’s eyes. Jang Mi’s heart ceases beating then and there. Before she could drop dead in the next second, completely overrun by anxiety, he says something.

“I just had a thought.”

Jang Mi’s breathing hitches and her reply sounds more constricted than intended.

“O…Kay…?”

“I know your seg is more an English thing so you play a lot of English bands but. What about local Indie bands, though? Like… Royal Pirates. Or, The Rose. Could they be played on your show? Or is that for another seg?”

“Uh…” Jang Mi blinks in thought. Her breathing’s gone back to normal and her heartrate’s normalised. “Um.Yeah,” Jang Mi nods, reiterating, “Yeah. I can play local bands too. For my show. Do you have, like uh, a recommendation? Or request?”

“A few, actually.”

He lids her cup and places it onto the counter before taking two long strides towards his fellow dark haired colleague to reach for a drawer that hid what was most probably their stash of stationary. He was rummaging pretty noisily that even Tangerine-Haired Guy turned around to see what was making all that racket. Coming up with none, Raven-Haired Guy ends up turning to Jang Mi.

“Got uh… got a pen?”

Of course, she always has one on her at all times. Why didn’t she think to offer it? It would’ve saved him all that the time and trouble looking for one too. Jang Mi passes one she remembers stuffing thoughtlessly into her jean pocket from that morning’s class and he breathes out a brief thanks before snatching up a napkin and scribbling out a storm onto it. He’d produced a small list, consisting of approximately four to five songs, along with its respective bands before returning the pen, with said napkin folded and tucked haphazardly into the pen clip.

Faintly in the background, Jang Mi could make out some whispers being made at their little exchange. She could already imagine what they were thinking was going down. _If only that were the case_.

“Just thought you’d like those,” he provides. By then, Jang Mi notices that he looks a little awkward and reserved, timid even. Like he was a little embarrassed to be sharing it; entrusting this piece of him – his own personal music recommendation – to a complete stranger. “If you do consider playing any of it on radio, I’ve enclosed a name in there.”

The way he’d inserted that final statement so easily had Jang Mi grinning so widely. Because for one thing, he had, actually been listening in, and two, he didn’t mind it one bit. Finally, Jang Mi’s stiff shoulders can relax.

“If anything it’s shorter than ‘ _one of the baristas from coffee & co._’”.

Jang Mi barks out a laugh. Hearing him quoting her was too hard not to. 

Seeing her react so seemed to have made him ease up too. “Was that the best you could come up with, though? Just, curious.”

“Well,” she ponders, but then decides _what the hell_ , “There _was_ Raven-Haired Guy. But I figured that was too vague as well.”

He scoffs, but good-naturedly as he still had on a smile. “At least it would’ve saved you eight words worth of breath.”

“I know. I should stick the nicknaming to the professionals.”

He feigns a serious expression, “Clearly,” but then he breaks out into a laugh, no longer able to keep the serious front.

“Yah, Jung Kook!” Tangerine-Haired Guy intervenes, “If you’re gonna flirt, do it some other time! We have customers!”

“A-ah,” Jung Kook now really loses his smile and realises his mistake.

Jang Mi too realises her mistake and saves him the trouble, “Anyway, thanks. For the music rec and new material.”

Grabbing her drink, she quickly makes a beeline for the exit. Faintly, in the background, instead of some great pop punk track she hears serenading her exit, she hears him cry out, “A-Anytime!”

Guess now Jang Mi has a name to replace Raven-Haired Guy.

-

Jang Mi did end up playing some of Jung Kook’s recommendations. Along with it were his well due credits and mentions. When one of her listeners asked on the college radio website if she made shout-outs, she clarified that she gets suggestions sometimes in the chatrooms if not from friends so she gives them their credit when it’s due. That reply in itself became an unintentional invite to Jang Mi’s listeners to start filling the chatrooms with requests.

Eventually, the website kept crashing due to the heavy traffic in the chatrooms before Jang Mi’s segment, requesting for songs and inserting very interesting ID’s to be shouted-out to. Their team’s designated web designer struggled to find ways and means to deal with the heavy traffic but on one of their group meetings, their team leader suggested they make the chatroom live during her shows and asked Young Jae, their web designer, to make a simple page where they could direct the listeners to.

With her show receiving a lot of requests now, Jang Mi has additional work to go through before and during her session. All thanks to her beloved listeners flooding the chatrooms with all their amazing music recommendations, she’s now found another way to find new material to play on her show.

On one especially busy night, as she scrolled through the chatroom, she finds that they’re mostly asking for simple shout-outs – which she’d found herself doing because of the sheer number of it, she had to do them eventually. Though some genuinely do request and recommended songs to play on her show, one particular user catches her attention the most, and not because of their music suggestion. Jang Mi had to look twice to make sure she was reading it right before she went rolling into a fit of laughter.

( _I got another good one. Teenager. By Jung Joon Young. It’s great. If you’re in the mood for angst._  
Sent in by: **raven_haired_guy** )

-

The two of them go back and forth like that with the music suggestions. If not through the chatrooms, it’s personally during her coffee visits and they get so carried away at times, he had to be reminded that there was a queue. Sometimes, in return for all the great suggestions he’s given her, she gives him her own personal preference. They’d brief each other their thoughts and reviews on the recommendation before supplying each other with another set of songs to listen to that might out-fancy the other in their unwritten list of songs-you-need-to-listen-to-before-you-die. A little exaggerated but that was how they referred to it.

Somewhere out there, someone had said, you can tell a person’s character just by their music preference. Jang Mi encountered this saying one day when she went through websites, looking for great recommendations for 80’s pop punk rock bands or grunge rock and encountered that saying. Of course, at the time, the author had meant to sound superior and that people who’d listened to that scope of music genre were more cultured (or somewhat that). But all Jang Mi realised as she reread it was that she really felt like she was really getting to know Jung Kook by his music preference.

If anything, Jang Mi feels a little special to have this opportunity to know this side of him, to have shared such personal information with each other, one that only close friends would know and not mere strangers. But Jang Mi tries not to get too ahead of herself. The little crush she’d harboured was dangerously getting a little out of control what with all the attention she was getting from him.

She knew better. This was all but the works of a blooming friendship. She really tried not to think much about it.

And she should rethink to revoke that statement about not being blind, because apparently, she was. She was blind to have been ignoring all of the painfully obvious signs. Like how every time she came in, whenever Min Gyu (formerly known as Tangerine-Haired Guy) was at the till, he’d trade immediately with Jung Kook so he’d be her cashier if there weren’t that many people for the day. Or like how Yu Gyeom (formerly known as Maroon-Haired Guy) would reluctantly give up his barista spot for Jung Kook as he would want to make her drink as they chatted. They would always relent in giving opportunities for them to talk. Seok Min (the _other_ dark-haired barista) too would take the trouble to call Jung Kook over if she so as much as asks about him – even when she had merely asked for the sake of conversation. But of course, she only takes it as his colleagues teasing the two, blowing it out of proportion.

Boy, was she wrong.

And it all would’ve gone unnoticed still up until one especially chilly winter afternoon, Jang Mi dropped by because she was desperate for warmth. Something she could coddle in her classroom as she waited for her professor to march on in. But the moment she stepped foot into the establishment, someone had called out to Jung Kook – who was at the far back having his lunch break he explains to her later – to announce Jang Mi’s presence. That was by far the most bizarre thing to have happened that showed the extent of how the employees would go for Jang Mi and Jung Kook in their time spent together. She knew then, there must be something going on.

Again, she didn’t want to think much of it. But then, on another one of her particularly slow Thursdays, the one by the register, Yu Gyeom, had taken only one look at her as she walked to the counter, before he tells her, “One sec.” He disappears to the back immediately after, where she could hear him faintly yelling for Jung Kook.

He was probably in the back having his break and really Jang Mi didn’t know why they bothered so much. She just wanted a drink. She didn’t care who made it. Sure, it would be great if she could talk to Jung Kook while she waited but it wasn’t a _necessity_. The poor guy needn’t be disturbed.

But apparently, there was some hidden agenda behind all the fuss for seconds later, there’s Jung Kook, looking a little dishevelled as he’d rushed to the front. His apron was more to the right than it was centred and his eyes were all wild and twitchy, but if one were to look closer, you’d see some indignant determination in them. His usually well-mussed hair had wild strands popping out of places that really completed his scatter-brained state.

“Hi,” he greets, or, squeaks. Jang Mi was sure he heard it too because he immediately started clearing his throat right after so it wouldn’t happen again.

“Hey,” Jang Mi replied a little cautiously. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah!” Again, his voice pitches. A gruff throat-clearing later, he repeats, “Yeah, Yeah… Just… Err-hmm! You want anything? The usual?”

The usual by now consisted of a Blueberry Muffin with a steaming hot Caramel Macchiato. But today, Jang Mi was in the mood for a slight variation of her usual and instead asked for a piping hot Green Tea Latte to go with her muffin.

Jung Kook needn’t ask what her name was anymore (he’d alternate between JJ and Uma Thurman whenever he pleased), nor did she need to tell him that she wanted her muffin warmed up in the microwave (that was a given every time she had it there).

Jang Mi was half expecting for him to start going off about her recent set – because apparently, Jung Kook noticed how often she was playing Fall Out Boy songs in commemoration with their announced concert date in January and they’d be making a stopover in Korea. It was her way of consoling herself she’d explained to her listeners, when she’d found not two, but three more similar complaints made in the chatroom. They had to know the dire devastation she’d felt for not being able to go because she knew of how broke she was (even for the cheapest ticket available!). She was becoming more biased than catering to her listeners and that made her a little guilty, but it was only for a month so they would just have to bear with it for two more weeks.

(Before she’d lessened the number of times she’d given the band air time on radio to a minimum of five times, she and Jung Kook had once gone into a very vehement argument about how often exactly it was she’d been playing it.

Jang Mi had made it to a startling point of playing 10 songs throughout her set. She’d defensively argued, “I don’t hear you complaining about Jane playing The Chainsmokers more than five times throughout her set!”

His argument: “That’s throughout the span of five hours!”

Judging by how she’d lessened the band’s airtime, you can tell who won that argument.)

She waited and waited, but all he did was keep mum throughout the whole drink-making process. Jang Mi was a little worried if he was feeling a little under the weather. She took his constant throat-clearing and croaking or squeaking to be something to do with his throat.

“You sure you’re alright? You’re awfully quiet today.”

“I’m always quiet,” he argued.

“Not around me, you aren’t,” Jang Mi argued right back and there was this impish grin on his lips as a dust of pink coloured the apples of his cheeks.

“Guess you bring out the inner music critic in me.”

Jung Kook takes in a deep breath after he’d poured the drink into her paper cup and merely stared heatedly into some napkin dispenser as he ruminated some thoughts seriously. The air was so tense Jang Mi was a little worried that it was her presence itself that was making him so stiff.

Out of all their encounters, this could possibly knock down that one time he so passionately insisted CN Blue not to be compared to the likes of Day6. It was almost like the comparison was triggering.

Jang Mi still waited for him to say something, because she feared she may disrupt some serious train of thought he might be having. If she were to snap him out of it, God knows what would happen. Seconds pass and he literally jumps when the microwave dinged, indicating that her muffin was ready. Carefully, he places the muffin onto a saucer and as he brought it over to her tray, Jang Mi notices him fishing for something in the back pockets of his jeans.

Jang Mi expected a scribbled on napkin with another list of recommendations because he’d write some without even asking. Or maybe he’d pull out a pen he hadn’t returned. Or maybe even his phone because he’d wanted to show her something in there. But what he takes out are what seems to be two tickets to something she’d never thought she’d find herself being offered to.

“Now. I know how much you love Fall Out Boy. And I know how much you really wanted to go to their concert. So, I really hope you’re free on Friday because these tickets are non-refundable and I don’t know anyone else who’s as hard core a Youngblood as you are.”

The whole time, Jung Kook had spoken softly and carefully, almost like he didn’t want to startle or shock anyone by dropping such a thing onto their heads. He’d wanted to ease the news onto them so they’d be able to register and digest. It was Jung Kook’s turn to tread on thin ice as he delivered the invitation because by the looks of it, he really didn’t know what to expect from Jang Mi as he held up those tickets for her widened and rounded eyes to behold.

Jang Mi had nothing to say at first. She was nothing _but_ wide, rounded eyes and slackened jaw from the sheer reality of it and how surreal it was. Jeon Jung Kook did _not_ just go out his way to get her Fall Out Boy’s MANIA Concert tickets.

If that doesn’t scream proposal, then she didn’t know what does.

She could literally cry. But she holds the tears back. Instead, she purses her lips and takes in deep breaths so she wouldn’t sound so strangled when she gives him her answer. It was so obvious what it was that she really wished she could wipe off that anticipating and hopeful look in his eyes.

“Yes!” she gasps, “I would _totally_ make my Friday free for Fall Out Boy’s concert!”

Jung Kook lets out a sigh of complete, utter relief. “Great.” But then his contented eyes turn apprehensive as he asks, “You… _do_ know that you’re going with me, right? That what I’m doing is—”

“—Asking me out on a date. Yes, I know what you’re doing, Jung Kook. And as epic as it would be to have our first date be at an FOB concert, why don’t we start off simple and we make our first date be you taking me out elsewhere instead. Saturday night okay? I’m always free on the weekends.”

“O-oh. O-okay.” He bashfully rubs the back of his head as he confesses, “Sorry. I just… I _really_ wanted you to say yes.”

“I’d have said yes regardless to whomever it was if what they’re offering is FOB concert tickets! But asking me out on a regular date, like to the movies? I’d be a little picky about that.”

“So movies?”

“Movies,” Jang Mi nods affirmatively.

“Saturday?”

“Saturday.” Another nod of approval. “I’ll meet you here at 7.”

“Seven. Right,” Jung Kook parrots ecstatically.

“Is it done?”

Jung Kook and Jang Mi’s heads turned to the where the voice had sourced from and it had come from one of the three baristas, standing by the door that led to the back where the break room must’ve been. The three baristas waited by each other, side by side, awaiting the confirmation like their lives depended on it.

Jung Kook did the honours by saying, “Yeah. It’s done.”

“You or her?” Seok Min eagerly asked and the other two held similar looks of anticipation on their faces.

Jang Mi had a feeling she knew what it was they were waiting for and the moment Jung Kook said, “ _Her_ ,” Seok Min had dropped to his knees to dramatically bellow out a long “ _Nooooooooooo!!_ ” while both Yu Gyeom and Min Gyu gave each other high fives and cried out giddily in unison, “ _Yeeeesss!! Meat!!_ ”

Jang Mi could only give Jung Kook a look, and he’d promised to tell her about it some other time.

(Obviously, they’d made a bet on who’d ask out whom first.)

 -

 Saturday had come rolling around sooner than expected and as agreed, they went to the theatres to catch a movie. The movie hadn’t been that great and so, after their movie, they’d agreed for some late night snacks. Jung Kook had giddily suggested this one place he promised Jang Mi would like and it was a nerve-wracking few minutes of trekking through dimly lit streets and narrow alleyways to get there. In the end, the journey had led them both to a little, recluse, diner, deep within the township.

Although the surrounding streets gave it a very creepy setting, what with the lack of lighting and the already dingy-looking neon header lights, the inside wasn’t so bad. It sort of gave Jang Mi an 80’s feel with all the pop-art quotes framed and hanged on the walls. The counter as well as the stools that aligned it was both coloured bright red with a classic metal finish. The checkerboard tiles for flooring was the cherry on top. Jang Mi might’ve just found her next favourite place to stop for milkshakes.

The two of them resided in one of the provided booths, sitting opposite of each other. It would’ve been rather romantic hadn’t it been for the view of the deserted streets the large window they sat by gave way to. The waitress had been a lady in her mid-40’s, dressed casually in jeans and t-shirt. Despite the rather late hour, she treated them with warmth and a smile. She needn’t even jot down their orders since it was only them in the little establishment and they’d merely ordered two milk-shakes (chocolate for Jang Mi and strawberry for Jung Kook), with a side of fries.

For a retro-themed diner, Jang Mi had thought they’d play something from the 80’s like Elvis Presley or something by the BG’s or ABBA, but faintly, playing in the background, was The 1975’s Somebody Else.

“How on Earth did you come across this place?” Jang Mi asks curiously, still completely in awe by its mere existence.

“A friend.” He’d stopped himself from continuing when the waitress from before came to place their milkshakes in front of them. Jang Mi felt like she was glimpsing at 5-year old Jung Kook by how completely delighted he’d looked. After he’d thanked the waitress and taken a sip, only then he elaborated, “He likes to café hunt and sometimes brings me along since he knows I have a penchant for good food. While he reviews the whole décor and – what was it – ambience? Of it all, I helped rate the food.” He fished out his phone, tapped some things on his phone and slid it over to Jang Mi. “His IG. He has a blog too but I’m already running low on data as it is.”

“That’s okay. I can relate to that,” Jang Mi sympathises, chortling. Looks down to the phone screen, she scrolls through his friend’s feed. She makes a mental note to look him up later. “Kim Tae Hyung, huh?” She zooms in on a photo where he’s donning some really bright, red, leather, thigh-high boots. “Is he that guy who became lead for our college remake of Kinky Boots?”

“Yup. That’s him. Kinky Boots Guy,” Jung Kook sighs tiredly, like her recognising him was a common occurrence and it was becoming a bore to validate it. The nickname though brings a little smile to Jang Mi’s face as it reminds her of one great ol’ nickname she’d had for Jung Kook in the past. “I don’t know why it comes as such a surprise that you know him. The guy practically knows everyone. _Everyone_ practically knows him.”

“Which major is he in? Theatre or Fashion?” Jang Mi slides the phone back to Jung Kook as their fries arrive. “Because I swear I caught him with Joo Hyun a few times in the Fashion department too.”

“He’s in STEM actually. Second to this guy Kim Nam Joon.”

“Nam Joon? He’s our resident Hip Hop-R&B DJ back at college radio! He does the afternoon sesh with Jennie. Guess you can say he’s Yoon Gi’s predecessor.” Jang Mi stirs her milkshake as she retorts, “Always known the guy to be hella smart but never thought he’d be top in his class.” 

“Explains why Tae Hyung both admires and hates the guy with a passion.” Jung Kook says this before picking up a fry and dipping it in his milkshake. As he chewed, “Anyway, Tae Hyung gets scouted a lot by the art kids, especially by the Fashion dep because supposedly he has this _look_ to him. And they _need_ to have him model their final year pieces to make it look _complete_. If only they’d see him maul a triple cheeseburger after a whole night of Overwatch.”

“Don’t shatter their image of him for them,” Jang Mi chastised and Jung Kook rolled his eyes in response.

They went back and forth like that, exchanging stories about their friends and along the way they’d ordered another round of fries and milkshakes. Since both were practically nocturnes, they never got tired nor really took any heed of the hour. No matter how late it had become, they were just too busy laughing and having fun, too preoccupied in enjoying each other’s company to want to go back to their dorms.

The two had been recovering from a laughing fit at something Jang Mi had received in the college radio chat room when Jang Mi picked up something playing in the background.

“Hey.” Jang Mi tilted her head, straining her ear to see if she could recognise it. “This song. Do you know it?”

Jung Kook hummed, questioning, but then her words registered to him and he too sat still so he could pull focus on the faint song playing in the background. “Sounds familiar,” he mumbles thoughtfully and starts pulling for his phone again. “Jesus, these pants are tight,” he grits out as he struggled to pull it free from his front pockets. Jang Mi blatantly laughs at this but he pays no mind. When he does succeed in pulling his phone free, he furiously tapped his phone screen and all Jang Mi could see was a screen of blue with some white spiral in the middle. She’d wanted to ask what he was doing but then his phone vibrated loudly against the table and he turns the phone around so she could see it. “Don’t really know it. But I could guess it was Hayley. Could recognise that voice anywhere.”

Jang Mi reads the words aloud, “Paramore. Hard Times.” Then, she huffs out an impressed, “Huh.”

Leaning forward onto his elbows, Jung Kook has on this superior look as he introduces, “Uma Thurman, meet Shazam. Shazam, meet Uma Thurman.”

Jang Mi studies the song and artiste information displayed before her a second longer before she finally voices forlornly, “I need a new phone.”

Jung Kook could only roll with laughter at her pitiful predicament.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hope this didn't suck too much.  
> uh... yeah.
> 
> Comments much loved...?


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